This year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list introduces a groundbreaking category dedicated to artificial intelligence. As these young entrepreneurs step into a world increasingly defined by AI, they mirror the fervor of the early dot-com era. The global market for AI is projected to reach $631 billion by 2028, and investment in U.S. AI startups is soaring, with $27 billion funneled into the sector just between April and June. This budding generation of founders sees AI not as a job replaceable tool, but as a means to enhance creative possibilities. With this mindset, they are aiming to revolutionize the way we live, work, and create.
Among this dynamic cohort, Demi Guo and Chenlin Meng, the co-founders of Pika, exemplify the innovative spirit driving the AI boom. Their platform utilizes generative AI to turn text prompts into videos, attracting 5 million users to its free application. With a valuation close to $470 million after raising $135 million, Pika is indicative of the potential for AI to augment human creativity rather than replace it. “AI is really about enabling our possibilities,” Guo asserts, emphasizing the collaborative nature of man and technology in the creative process.
The selection for the inaugural 2025 Forbes Under 30 AI list was rigorous, drawing from numerous nominations and evaluations by a panel of experts in the field. Candidates had to be under 30 as of December 31, 2024, and unavailable in previous Under 30 lists. The editors aimed to capture those whose innovative work is lambasted at the heart of AI development, identifying startups that genuinely leverage intelligence as a core component of their operations, rather than merely aligning with the AI buzzword.
Prominent figures in AI development feature prominently on the list, such as Aidan Gomez, co-founder of Cohere, which specializes in large language models, and recently raised $970 million at a valuation of $5 billion. Other notable mention includes young co-founders like Michael Truell and his companions who are creating a collaborative tool akin to “Google Docs” for developers, and Jared Quincy Davis, who is tackling compute shortages with cloud-based resources for AI builders. These founders demonstrate the diversity of AI applications, from enhancing productivity in software development to providing crucial computational resources.
The list also showcases individuals focused on the safety aspect of AI, such as Dan Hendrycks of the Center for AI Safety and the co-founders of Haize Labs, who are developing tools to identify vulnerabilities in AI models. Young activists like Shena Revanur are advocating for ethical standards through initiatives like AI 2030, calling for global commitments to AI safety measures. Their contributions highlight the importance of responsible development as AI continues to evolve and integrate into societal frameworks and industries.
As these 30 Under 30 innovators collectively raise more than $1.8 billion, they are setting the stage for a future where AI will play a transformative role. The work being done now underscores the potential for technology to enhance human capabilities while also addressing concerns of safety and ethical deployment. As the Forbes report suggests, this generation is not simply shaping the future of AI—they are writing the narrative that will guide its impact on society, for better or worse, until such time when AI might pen its own story.
